Steering wheel



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v/' i vQ94 INVENTOR. @22% /54 fm muy M `A TTORNEY.

`une 3 1924.

E. H. VINCENT STEERING WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 22 1921 E -LW f 2 4 Af n @QMLAMIWENTOR l BY Y MWTTORNEY.

Patented June 3, 1924.

NiTED' sT UF F fl C.

wppndfeien flared Jamfey 22, 4921. iserian deems.

To 'all 'whom it may concern:

Be it Vknown that ITI, EDWARD H. VvNonN-f-r, a, 'citizen of the United AStates,eI-1"d "'esidin @t Detroit, in lthe county of .Why-ne en' Seat'e' of Michigan., 4have invented a new and AIrnqoroved Steering WheeLof which the following is a 'specification'. y

This 4irwe'ntion relates to steering Wheels for 'motor vehicles and 'its vobfpact 'is to p fovde yfai wheel' 'which maybe beilmiAs't-d:v to' turn .freely on the steering shaft or be et'- taehe'd 'thereto sind im which 'the 'rim may be tilted 'relative to `the steenirrg sheft while Vthe wheel 'is vtree to turn thereon.

This invention consists, in connection with Ia notched collar fedafpted vto dit the 'upper fend of Athe 'steering 'shaft and a nut to hold it in position, of a cross headazdrpte to vi-oiate 'on the Coller iand hating' Fallined tape-ring eoekete in its fende, wheel nfn, spider farms attached to the nim und fhavin' tapering tru-unions extending finto 'ssii sockets, 'a looking bolt mounted'in' the Cross `in 'elinement with .the tmnion sockets 'and adapted 11e engege the net-ches in the collar, look barrel slidble nfon "of the trunnions and e knob attached to the leek and vedefgted todiewit amdtheloeking mit Oum-pdl ed leaking plus mounted extending i torn' the 'knob edjiwent ther-leek barrel and 'sl-dwbe yin"theffsideam sind :el-dented to `home inlined jeden: ieed of the cines needte prevent die rimv .from editing. ,Y A

This invention 'also eoneiets' olfnedn'sfnfov: able from operative to'iiwpembi've pSi/' wvhieh cont-,e015 the'krdteton ei' the seem-ing shfaft'end the tilting Fof the im, nitide key operated lock adapted ftdseeue eidmeens in inoperative position, em'd'a lde'vee te move seid meansjiom openetve toV inoper tive position independent of che operation eitheiey -1 c Y @.1 l,

- It .fumier conformes n @oder 'onFtheeteee `nod provided Beveiedehouldee at its ripper and ieder ends, #Imerese head tttng over 'che eoilar and having ein-fan miden beveled eurieei tofpegegethe n' l' beveled shonlde" oid-1e editen endE elec 'ing fingfneeited :inthe endl of fee in the dress .heed V@dei dwing-e: eeveiti: edifee 'to 't the heved lewe? 'Bhoulde' 'ijf esdd. collec. A

the ring from being tur-ned, access to the lobkil` screw being 'prevened by the Jlocking-bc t. Y

Italsoiconsiets in 'the details of lconstruetio'h llnstrted in the accompsnyfg draw@ ings 'end particularly Spoi'nfted dut kin the claims. l

In the draw-ings, Fig. -1 is a lpl'wh -of a. Steeli'ng' Wheel Irim 'and a horizontail Sect-ibn of the #cross heed Tand the fa-its too;oloeret'fing therewith. Fig. 2 is Aa vertiel centi'el seo'- tio-n of 'one sideof lthe cross heed and of the 6611er on which the wheel is mounted. Fig. 3 iis fan elevation of t-he Wheel. Fig. 4 -s -a section similar to Fig. 2 of e. -modied form of loe-king; device. Fig. 5 is a detail of trunnion.

Similar reference characters f'refer to 1like parte throughout the 'several viiws.

The steering wheel 'shown in `the 'drawings is of Whe type fshown land 'de'eeri'bred in my pending applicetion Sei'ial Number 335,582, iiled November 17, 1919.

To the rim l 'of the liz-heed `sllow'nin *the drawings are Aett-,eelie'dy the p-idenrrns 2 and -3 in any desired mnner. A crosehen'd i5 'extends'ietween-these' erris and has tapering sockets 4 and 5 to receive the tru-ii'- ndxsxon 'the'dpde'-lairmex-f1n:Fl v1 the triinnion 6 is -slidfeble 'ih the sookeb Airwthi's afin 2. 'and the `stent-"8 Vattaohefd At'lneto"is erewthieeded in the ann-20go that the tmrp nien 6' may' be djnsted 'to take. 'up wear Ajamf'o nilt 9 locks theft'unnio from' tui-ning relative to the arm.- y v v Y f A o llar 11 is Valdiap'ted to be attached to the steen-ing rod A. by the nut 12 and this eoilar ifs preferably vfor-[ned witlvbifeled "ehoideis l@ "and" 14.' The cross head -15 hee af ientrai recess/'tio receive'` the odlierll sind a heveledsui'faoe 164:0 lidably engge the ehou'ide 1'3. A'lockhg ring -17 'serewe up'4 into/the eentiie'lgopenmg VAin the eroe beeldend. has e" beveled 'sur-faee "18 tje engage the 'sdluhier` '.14 on the eollfnln` When-:the parte ate positioned, the; looking ring'. ie secured by the seiew 19 which 'ente' Vone -thje smell nteliein the upper -ini-...e i'fg "and time 'prev-ente the 'turned-1. VThe''mep@if-end ef 'the Iijfe einen Bis eeew le 1e ingfd.- my ee eleeed by the plu 2G and 'tl tiece'i :wie renee-eed the r fig Hennes be ren-wired;

The fweee' is emptied te 'be loeeedto ture theeeilar and steering; jeedy VLJ-eelt ed which is forced insee notch by :seeing being driven into the space between the flange 25 at the top of the cross headand the nut 12, I spin a ring' 26 of sheet. I netalY around inside of this flange so that whena wedge is driven in between -.this Aring and the nut 12, the flange 25 will slide around on this ring 26 without turning the nut. The steering column B extends up into the enlargement 27 of the bore of the collar 11 above the locking ring 17 so that there is no possibility of locking the cross-headto the steering shaft by driving Wedges between the ring 17 and steering column. On the spider arm 3 is a trunnion 29 which extends into the socket 5 in that end of the cross head, which socket is formed with a circumferential groove 30. A well known lock barrel 32 is slidable in this trunnion and to its outerend is securedl a knob"`-33 having 'two wings 34V so that it may ybe grasped by the fingers and drawn outwardly. A Harige 35 on the lock barrel is mounted in this knob and is cut away at one side as shown in Fig. 3 to prevent the lock.V from turning in the knob. The key 36 is inserted into' the end ofthe barrel in the usual manner and is adapted to drawinwardly the lock bolt 37 which is forced outwardly by the spring 38. 1

A stem 39 extends fromthe lock barrel to the locking` bolt 22 and-the spring 24;enga es the cup-shaped washer 41 whose outer ege rests against the innertendof the trunnion 29. 'IWolocking insf42 are att ached at their outer ends'to the nob 33and are adapted to enter tapering sockets 43 in the end of the cross head 15 adjacent the socket 5.' The inner end of the stem 39 is screw-threaded in the locking bolt 22 and is prevented from turning by the pin 44-which extends through a slot 46 in this stem.

When the parts are as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the rim cannot betilted and the collar 11 turns with the Wheel. W'hen the knob 33 is pulled out'until the'bolt 37.01: the lock 32 registers with the groove 30, this bolt 37 is forced out into this groove through the opening 45 in the trunnio'nl by the spring 38 and prevents the knob 33, the loekingpins 42 and the locking bolt 22`trom returning to` normal position. 'is evident'that the lock may be .pulled outward by the knob 33 AWhether the key isfin the lock or fnot, or the lock may be pulled-out by the-key. In such case,`the wheel is -free to rotate on the collar 11 and the rimtogtilt-on'its trunnions. It is necessaryV to insert the key (36 in the lock barrel and turn itto draw'in the bolt 37 Y before the sprin 24 can again move inwardly and holdtlgie locking bolt 22 4ind A the parts connected thereto in theposition shown in 1,- 2- and 4.-

--jWhen it is desired toremoye.the steering Wheel', thef-plug 20. is removed, the' keynv 36 is inserted and the lock barrel 32, stem 39 and bolt 2 2 are withdrawn until a tool may be insertedtio turnb'ack the locking screw 19, whereupon the rin 17 may be unscrewed and the Wheel lift from the collar 11.

In Fi 4 I have shown a modified form of this loc in device. The cross head 48 is formed wit 1 a trunnion 49 which engages in the socket 50 on the spider arm. The lock barrel52 has a longitudinal groove 53 into which a short pin 54 extends to prevent this lock barrel from turning. the lock 52v is adapted to 'enter a hole in the trunnion which is indicated by the dotted circle 56 when the lock barrel, fthe stem 57 attached to the lock barrel and .the locking The bolt.55 of. 1

bolt 58 attachedl to this stem. are drawn outward. The lockmay be pulled outward by the knob Whether the keyis, in the: .lock or not, or the lock may be pulled out bythe key as above described. A Washer 60 secured by the pins 61 acts as an abutment for the compression spring 62. 'The action of this device is substantially the same as that above described. Y i

`In Fig. 5 I have'showna socket-4v into which yextendsa trunnion 65 integral: with the spider-arm 2 whiclimay.: be substituted for thetrunnion 6 shown Figa-1.

Other changeset. hevariou's parts ,may be made bygthoseskilledin the art .withoutdeparting from-.the spirit of 'mynvention .as f

set forth ira-.the following claims.

Iclaimze-Y i i 1. Ina steering Wheel, a collar adapted to be secured'to th'efsteerinig shaftof anc auto-E mobile, a rim fori the steering Wheel, a crosshead pivotally Vsecured to saidrimand to said collar, and meansfor-positively locking said cross headto said col ar and said rim, said rim being provided with `ali'ned sockets and -said cross-head having alined trun'nions fitting in said sockets. A 2. In a steeringwheel, the' combination ofa collar adapted to secured to the steering shaft and Yhaving a recessV in its lowerend adapted Ito receive the steering column, across-head havingalcentral chamberso it may lit over said oollary'a locking ring secured into the lower end of said chamber in engagement with saidl collarfto hold the cross-head in* position, sagidfcrosshead being formed withl alined tapering trunnionsat its' ends, a steering rim and spider arms attached thereto, said 4spider arms having tapering sockets to receive said trunnion's, a locking barrel mountedtin one of saidftrunnions and slidable radially relative-tof said collar, a-.s'temattaehed to said lock barrel, a lock bolt on the inner end of said stem adapted'to ent-er a notch in said collar, a spring `on' said stem to force said locking bolt inwardly into said notch, .the

end of the cross-head adjacent said lock being formed with holes, pins slidable in the adjacent spider arm adapted to enter said holes to prevent the rim from tilting on the cross-head, and a knob att-ached to said lock barrel and to said pins whereby said pins may be withdrawn from said holes in the end of the cross-head to permit the rim to be tilted and to withdraw the looking bolt from said notch to permit the spider to rotate freely on said collar.

3. In a steering Wheel, a. rim and spider arms attached thereto, a cross head having pivotal engagement with the spider arms through tapering trunnions and sockets to receive the trunnions, a notched collar secured on the steering shaft and on which the cross head is rotatably mounted, a locking bolt mou ted in the cross head and adapted to en er a notch in the collar to cause the steering shaft to turn with the wheel, a lock barrel slidably mounted in one o the trunnions radially of the steering shaft, and means connecting the lock barrel to the locking bolt.

4. In combination with a rotatable steering shaft, a Wheel head mounted thereon, a wheel structure movably mounted on said head, movable means adapted when in one position to allow rotation of said shaft by said wheel and prevent movement o the Wheel structure on the head and when in another position to prevent rotation of said shaft by said wheel and allow movement of the wheel structure o-n the head, a key operated lock embodying key-controlled means adapted to lock said first mentioned means in one of the said positions, said iirst mentioned means being movable to the last stated position independent of the operation of the key.

5. In combination with a rotatable steering shaft, a Wheel head mounted thereon, a wheel structure tiltably mounted on said head, movable members adapted when in one position to allow rotation of said shaft by said wheel and prevent tilting of the wheel structure on the head and when in another position to prevent rotation of said shaft by said wheel and allow movement of the wheel structure on the head, a key-operated lock embodying key-controlled means adapted to lock said movable members in one of the said positions, said members being movable to the last stated position independent of the operation of the key.

6. In combination with a rotatable steering shaft, a Wheel head mounted thereon, a Wheel structure movable on said head, a slidable key operated lock and members adapted to slide therewith, said slidable members adapted when in one position to allow rotation of said shaft by said wheel and preventmovement ot thel wheel structure on the head and when in another position to prevent rotation of said shaft by said wheel and allow movement of the wheel structure on the head, said key operated lock embodying key controlled meansadapted to lock said slidable members and lock in one of the said positions, said slidable members and lock being slidable to the last stated position independent of the operation of the key.

EDWARD H. VINCENT. 

